Aladdin

11th - 13th January 2007

The Cast

The Crew

Reviews

Wokingham Times - 24th January 2007

Hurst Pantomime Group took their audience flying on a magic carpet of tear-making laughter when they performed Aladdin.

It was the group’s third, and most polished, panto since they started up four years ago. The audience relished the joy of seeing people familiar from the village shop, school or pub being transformed in all the colour, music and silliness of traditional panto.

Hurst Village Hall was packed for the four performances. Co-producer Mrs Jo Penney said: “More than 80 people worked incredibly hard, and much enjoyed, putting on the show. We hope to stage another panto in two years’ time.”

Director Peter Stallwood and assistant director Roz Danks made the most of the cast’s considerable talents.

The set, imaginatively designed by Terry Bunyard, was built by him and a team of helpers. Excellent work was done by musical director, Steve Randall; choreographer, Deborah Heath; sound director, Nick Willson; and lighting team Duncan Kendall and Pippa Boyd.

Jo Penney and Judith Boulton were the hard-working co-producers.

An outstanding feature was the singing. Chloe Cornwell brought her confident and excellently-timed singing to the part of Aladdin. Her duets with the talented Emily Johnstone as the Princess were a delight.

The audience greeted Tony Pouncey affectionately when he returned as an appealing and traditional Dame for the second time at Hurst.

Judith Boulton was wonderfully bossy as the policewoman, even coming to blast her whistle at audience members slow to leave the bar in the interval. Her singing of Big Spender was a sight and sound to behold.

Excellent delivery of words and song brought Al Cairns as wicked sorcerer lots of boos. Keith Milner’s Genie was nicely inscrutable. Frances Lawrence was fluent and fun as The Slave of the Ring.

Laura Hiles and Marc Reid made a strong comic duo. Tim Taylor’s well-judged humour as the Emperor and John Osborne’s booming Grand Vizier were effective. Robyn Czapp and Florence Tavener ((correct)) were serene and beautiful as the handmaidens.

The two choruses’ powerful singing was a highlight.

Thanks

We are grateful to Joyce and Beryl Spear for this year's script, which is based on their version of "Aladdin" performed at Wokingham Theatre in 1982.

Programme Sponsors

Director — Peter Stallwood

Peter first appeared on stage at the age of 12 and has stayed there for the best part of 55 years as actor, writer and director. He is a former artistic director of Wokingham Theatre. Career highlights include appearing on the Wokingham stage in "Macbeth" Patrick Mower staring in Peter's play "Rule of the Game" at the Yvonne Arnaud theatre in Guildford, winning the National Drama Festivals Association's Best New Play of 1998 with "Sleepy Lagoon", his play "British Bulldog" being nominated by the Reading Chronicle as one of the artistic highlights of the year 2003 and playing the lead in "King Lear" in Reading Abbey ruins. All these triumphs are of course eclipsed by the runaway success of his last Hurst venture as Director of Snow White in 2005!

Choreographer — Deborah Heath

Deborah first started dancing at the age of 3. She danced at the Betty Lane School of Dancing in her home town of Stratford upon Avon until the age of 18. She appeared in many shows, including numerous pantomimes, and once performed at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Whilst at University Deborah devoted all her spare time to international athletics, specialising in long distance running and marathons. After the arrival of her second child she gave up competitive athletics to return to her first love, the theatre, this time concentrating on choreography. She has choreographed a number of shows in the last 6 years, most recently Aladdin in Madrid. She loves the 'buzz' that comes from performing in a live theatre, a passion she now shares with her daughter.

Musical Director — Steve Randall

Steve is a veteran of the previous Hurst Pantomimes, "Cinderella" in 2003 and "Snow White in 2005. He is an accomplished piano and keyboard player with an encyclopaedic knowledge and love of music and a collection of piano sheet music to match! His tastes range through most areas of popular music to classical and choral, although his true passion is reserved for the glitzy showbiz world of the musicals of stage and screen. At University Steve appeared on stage in a number of amateur dramatic productions including "As You Like It". More recently Steve's talents have found an outlet as the keyboard player with a local rock band.